Man Arrested After Dispute Draws Family, Crowd & Tuscaloosa Police Near UA Strip

A young man has been charged after a domestic dispute between him and a young woman drew police, an angry family member and a crowd of spectators near the University of Alabama campus Monday.

Footage shared across social media showed a few different angles of a large crowd cheering as police entered an apartment not far from Bryant-Denny Stadium, along with speculation and rumors about the situation that drew them there.

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Some of those posts identify the parties involved in the dispute, and many contain incorrect information about the involvement of local police so far.

In response to an inquiry from the Thread, a spokesperson for the Tuscaloosa Police Department said it is continuing to investigate several aspects of the dispute, but no charges have been filed against any party.

Things started on Sunday, when an altercation between the young people spilled from one apartment into another one nearby.

"A Tuscaloosa Police investigator was called to investigate a domestic dispute that was reported Sunday," TPD said. "The dispute involved a 19-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man, and took place at residences in the 1400 block of Eighth Street and the 500 block of Red Drew Avenue."

After the incident, both young people and a witness to their dispute reportedly gave statements to TPD, and that first incident remains under active investigation.

The next night, things escalated when someone related to the young woman in the dispute reportedly came to Tuscaloosa.

"On Monday, TPD officers were called to the residence on Eighth Street. The man involved in the case from Sunday said that a family member of the woman was on his front porch and had made threats to harm him," TPD said. "Officers and investigators responded to the scene and spoke to both men. That case also remains under investigation, with no arrests at this time."

It was that second interaction and police response that drew a large crowd of spectators, many of whom filmed and uploaded footage of police officers entering the residence to speak with the caller.

A University of Alabama spokeswoman told the Thread on Wednesday that they take these incidents seriously.

"The well-being, safety and security of every member of the UA community is our top priority. All allegations or reports of misconduct are taken seriously, and appropriate officials are notified," UA said.

UPDATE: The young man involved in the case, 20-year-old Ryan Jeffery DellaFranco, turned himself in at TPD headquarters and was charged with third-degree domestic violence/assault on Tuesday, TPD said. He was later released after posting a $500 bond.

"TPD’s Criminal Investigations Division is continuing to investigate both incidents, with further charges possible," a spokeswoman said. "The West Alabama INTERCEPT Task Force is also actively investigating information related to the domestic dispute case."

This report is the result of a tip from a Tuscaloosa Thread reader, which are always welcome through our mobile app or submitted to stephen.dethrage@townsquaremedia.com

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